Housing Society AGM spotlights its 12-unit affordable housing project

2014-06-03

The Revelstoke Community Housing Society held its Annual General Meeting on Monday, June 2, and not only review some interesting projects but elected a new board of directors. Present for the AGM were (in back from the left): public member Peter Bernacki, Councillor Chris Johnston, public member Glenn O’Reilly (newly elected Vice-Chairman, replacing Councillor Phil Welock in that position), public member Mark McKee (acclaimed as Chairman of the society), and Councillor Phil Welock. In front (from the left) are: Community Economic Development Director Alan Mason, super efficient staff member Debra Wozniak, Community Connections rep Cathy Girling and public members Bruce MacLachlan and Albert Van Goor, who was also re-acclaimed as Treasurer. David F. Rooney photo

By David F. Rooney

The Revelstoke Community Housing Society’s $3 million, 12-unit affordable housing project is proceeding pretty much as expected but Chairman Mark McKee cautions that it likely won’t be ready for new tenants before next year.

“We have been working through all the required steps expeditiously,” Society Chairman Mark McKee said at the agency’s Annual General Meeting on Monday, June 2. “We are basically construction-ready.”

The extensive planning the society is doing will help minimize any construction surprises and associated cost overruns, but McKee stressed that the project has not yet received the final approval that will see this much-needed project become a reality.

However, while Revelstokians are waiting with bated breath, BC Housing is a little on the slow side and has not yet officially announced the project. And it likely won’t until all the “Is are dotted and the Ts are crossed,” he said.

The society is ensuring that is done and for that kind of diligence McKee specifically thanked Debra Wozniak who handles all of the society’s administrative work.

McKee also noted that it will take about seven months to build the eight two-bedroom and four one-bedroom units to be built at the City-owned Bridge Creek Properties on Oscar Street. The units are being constructed as a rental-specific project paid for with funding from the Columbia Basin Trust and BC Housing.

The units will be rented to permanent resident of Revelstoke — not skiers or non-residents of any kind. However, the society has yet to determine the exact criteria by which it will determine who is eligible to rent the condo-style units. Two-bedroom units are expected to cost $750 a month and the one-bedroom units, $500 a month.

So, when will the project be completed? Not by the society’s original target date of December, 2014. Perhaps in the spring of 2015.

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The Revelstoke Current's first edition appeared on July 1, 2009. The online daily news site was established by Publisher-Editor David F. Rooney. Following his passing in 2017, the Revelstoke Current was reconstituted as a Not-For-Profit Society on February 15, 2018.